05-OCT-09

Ok.  So it’s been a while.  Again.

I have been productive, though.  I started by putting the doors back together, starting with putting some moisture shields on.  Real ones, not the thick paper ones that crumbled apart when I started working on the doors.  I used some thick plastic liner that was wrapping around a new water heater.  All I did was cut it to fit and used duct tape to hold it on the door, easy-peasy.  I did have to do a little repair work on the driver door before the door panel went on.  As is common on most driver doors, the small area under mirror mounting panel had a bad fatigue crack.  I prepped the area, tacked it back together and for good measure, put a small plate over it and tacked that on.  It should hold it together for a while.

I had wanted to mount my replacement speakers in the original location behind the walnut panel, but I ended up just cutting the panels.  I know the purists out there would complain about it, but tough, it’s my car.  The way it is now I can mount speakers on the outside of the panel without a problem.

In order to mount the later model door pulls (for the power window switches) I had to add two holes, one for the front hole closest to the speaker and one for the rear one.  I also had to cut the door mounts down to fit – the Bertone door panel is thicker than the stock 4-door panel.  Finally, the top of the door pull, which fits into the door pull clip, had to be modified.  Again, because the door panel is thicker, the post on the door pull which enters the clip had to be modified to allow the underlying metal post to penetrate further in.  Long story short, the door panels went on.

I had some Pioneer 4″ speakers that I mounted on a pair of aftermarket speaker door mounts I found on a Volvo in a salvage yard once.  They fit with no problem.

23-AUG-09

Holy cow!  It’s been a while.  So, let’s see, what have I been doing lately on the car.  Not so much, but I have been productive.

Wiring:  The power window wiring has been moved from the central console to the doors like post ’82 240’s.  Much nicer.   The same for the central locks.  One thing about a ’78 262c, it was never available with central locks and power windows in the doors.  What does this mean?  There is no room in the tiny cable pass throughs for the additional wiring.  I had to drill holes and use my die grinder to hog out a hole in the driver side door to fit the ‘standard’ door pass through for all the extra wires.  When I did the passenger side I just drilled a hole in each side and put a grommet in.  To protect the wires I put them in a piece of stock Volvo cable sleeve I harvested from another harness.  If you think this is easy, open your 240’s door and take a look at how much space there is in there.  It’s a cast iron b&*(), but it was worth it.  My kids think it’s pretty cool.

I finally got the tach circuit working.  The solution?  I was able to find a reference on a BMW blog that referred to the MSnExtra fix, using a couple 1N4004 diodes and a 12V zener, but it also used a 100K resistor across one of the 1N4004 diodes.  Guess what?  It worked wonders!  Awesome!

The next task was getting the R-Sport gauges installed and working.  I had to modify the circuit board because the VDO Jet Cockpit 4-cylinder tach I got on eBay is ‘upside down’ from the Volvo version.  Go figure.  So, I just moved the runs that ran across the back of the tach and cut the board out.  No problem.  My next ‘issue’ was the indicator lamp gels. I made a mask on a laser with my custom designs and printed the color part on my ink jet on a matte inkjet transparent label.  The was then overlayed on the laser mask for the color and then a blank transparent layer was applied over that layer to protect the color.  I cleaned up the indicator light bulb connectors and verified the lamps worked.  Finally, I ran a line for power for the voltmeter and oil pressure gauges, as well as tied into the wiring for the instrument lamps and grounds.

The only problem I’ve come across is that the water temp gauge doesn’t work.  There’s nothing wrong with the wiring or the gauge circuit board, since the temp gauge on the stock instrument panel works fine.  I should have noticed something was wrong, though.  If you look at the picture of the R-Sport cluster, you’ll notice that the needle isn’t visible on the water temp but is on the fuel gauge.  I think the gauge is broken.

I’ve been trying out TunerStudio on my little ThinkPad.  I like it, it has a much nicer interface than the standard MegaTune, but it is noticeably slower and laggy, even with the anti-aliasing setting.  I’ll still keep playing with it because it is a nice tool.

I’ve been experimenting with the VE and ignition maps, and I borrowed a few from others on the net with similar setups.  It’s running real nice now and idling at about 13.5 AFR at 1000 RPM.  Oh yeah, forgot about that.  The idle control is working great now, using the VDO 2-wire IAC motor.

Today I set up the mounting for the door pulls.  Volvo was ingenius when it came to their door setups.  Rather than using different door stampings for manual vs. electric window regulators with the door switches, they used a metal clip that pops in.  There are two of them, one for the driver and one for the passenger door.  That’s it.  I pulled them out of another 240.

Another oddity with the ’78 doors is that i doesn’t have the hole for the front door mount.  There’s the one in the middle that’s replaced, and then an empty hole where the rear mount goes, but no front hole.  I drilled it out to the closest size and then sized it with a small triangle file, pretty easy.  Now I just get to mod the door panels for the new door pulls and wiring.

Oh, and last but not least, it can move under it’s own power.  For kicks a couple of weekends ago, when I had the girls with me in the car (they pretend they’re driving places), I put it in reverse and the girls went nuts when it went backwards and then forwards.  The girls are already planning a trip to feenix in the car.  Scary. 😆

16-MAY-09

I was trying to figure out why the car had a stuttering idle while trying to get the idle smoothed out.  I put my timing light on it and sure enough, it was wandering around between 25 and 20 BTDC.  I thought, why not check to make sure the EDIS trigger wheel was set on TDC, since the EDIS unit was doing all the timing control.  Sure enough, the trigger wheel had shifted one and 1/2 teeth over, so the MS was trying to get the right timing and the EDIS was confused with the SAW it was getting from the MS.  So… I put the trigger wheel where it was supposed to and locked it down tight.  End result –  rock solid idle with right at 20 deg BTDC.  This engine has never idled so steady.  Nice.

I’ve gotten the wiring pretty much sorted out for the power windows and central locking.  I had to take the individual pins out of the connectors to get the harnesses through the cable pass throughs for each loom, but it worked.  There is a short somewhere on at least the driver mirror control somewhere between the switch and the door, but not in the door.  I verified this by pulling the mirror out, lubricating the mirror motor and plastic pivots.  The little motor swivels back and forth and up and down just fine.  I hope to have the door wiring completed by the 17^th.  I need to find the little plastic end caps for the door pulls, but that’s minor.

20-APR-09

More progress. I’ve been working on the car whenever I have some free time and it’s paying off. Including the work done this weekend, here’s the latest:

• Attached the pre-pump and fuel level sensor. (Duh – I never attached them…)
• Swapped the 6-cyl tach for the 4-cyl. I also verified that the tach would trigger from the EDIS PIP signal.
• Extended the trans lockout harness so it wasn’t as tight as Nancy Pelosi’s face.
• Installed the overdrive harness and verified that it works.
• Looks like the Innovate LC-1 is working again.
• Sourced some 40A fuses (Merle’s) and the eFan is awesome!
• Installed the Momo steering wheel, finally!
• Cleaned up the wiring on the driver side.

10-APR-09

Some updates.

I converted my TPS from the Ford one I used when I originally set up my MS in the 244 to an 850 version. It’s a slicker installation and it’s a Volvo part, so I can get a replacement wherever in case I ever need one. I was able to figure out that I need a 40 amp fuse for the cooling fan because it keeps blowing the 30 amp fuse. Still not sure if I need a replacement O2 sensor or if I need to check the O2 circuit. After the car runs for about a minute, the O2 just goes away. I’m going to try one more O2 sensor to see if it’s just the sensor. If it’s not the case, I’ll put the MS on the stimulator and see if the O2 goes away as well. I need to get this fixed because it’s causing me to not be able to tune the car and get it running reliably. I’ll also check the timing and verify that the trigger wheel is on the correct tooth or one tooth off.

28-MAR-09

Woohoo!!!

I got the car started! I’d actually tried turning it over back in December and it sounded like it wanted to kick over, but I never had a decent battery that would keep a charge more than a few cranks. So, week and 1/2 ago I broke down and went to Checker and got a battery. This made troubleshooting so much easier because now I don’t have to wait to recharge the batter after a few minutes. I verified the EDIS was getting the PIP signal to the MS and made sure I had the tooth on the right spot in the rotation. Had to reflow a solder joint on the injector driver because it was holding the injectors open. I hope that the raw fuel didn’t kill my wideband, but if it did, I can fall back to a narrow band, I don’t mind. Anyway, it fires. It had a few nice back fires that blew the last connection in the exhaust off, but that’s easy to reattach. Now it fires up ok, just running super rich. I need to see what’s causing that and then see why the TPS isn’t reading correctly, but that’s minor in comparison to getting the car running. Just that much closer now to getting it on the street…

To-Do list:

• Fix wiring on inner fender – headlight and main power has corroded and fallen apart
• Pull wire harnesses from cabin to engine compartment
• Mount and wire cooling fan relay
• Connect power to EDIS relay and attach signal line from main harness
• Add fluids (oil, trans fluid, coolant, gas)
• Mount MS on passenger kick panel
• Wire up the fuel pump relay
• Wire up the LC-1 wide-band to the MS
• Match up Park-Neutral wiring for transmission (so I can turn over the engine)
• Put fuses back in the fuse panel
• Mount the 4-cyl tach in place of the 6-cyl tach
• Turn the engine over to generate oil pressure
• Program MS with Hi-Res
• Program MS with options and tables
• Mount 83-up rear bumper

20-NOV-08

Two steps forward, one back. 🙄

I was adding the rest of the coolant when I noticed that it had started to drip out of the radiator, 3/4’s of the way full, no less. I put a pan underneath as fast as I could and caught most of it. Fortunately, I had another 3-core spare radiator, so after all was said and done, no harm done; it was just a minor set back.

After figuring out which plug went where for the transmission PRND switch I was able to spin the motor. Sure enough, it spins, no problem.

Another problem I’ve come across that makes me scratch my head is where the hell did the bulb-out sensor go? I sure as hell never took it out. Apparently someone in the car’s past pulled it out. What it means is that none of the lighting outside of flashers and passing flash works. Just another unforeseen issue to work around.

The fuel pump relay is now mounted and verified to work, i.e., I’ve pressurized the fuel rail. So far, so good, I haven’t seen any leaks and I could hear the main pump change pitch as the system fully pressurized.

17-NOV-08

I had planned on doing more, but stuff got in the way. Ran power to and mounted a boost control solenoid that will run off the MS. I started adding fluids, got the oil in, looks like the transmission still has fluid, and I need another gallon of premixed Prestone. Almost there…

12-NOV-08

More progress. I’m getting closer and closer to turning the key. In addition to the items crossed off the To-Do list, I’ve done quite alot of work on the car. It helps that instead of watching coverage of Black Tuesday I just worked on the car. Anyway, here’s what’s been done, on top of the to-do list.

• Programmed the LC-1 Wide-Band O2 sensor
• Mounted the sensor in the exhaust (I had installed the bung ages ago)
• Pulled the LC-1 harness into the cabin and over to the passenger side
• Removed the narrow-band O2 sensor and plugged the hole
• Loaded MegaTune and familiarized myself with the MSnSE screens
• Routed harness for and mounted the ignition resistor pack
• Mounted another power distribution block (that’s where cooling fan relay get’s its power)

If you want to see the old information, go here.

02-NOV-08

Um. Wow. Almost a full year since I updated this page. Wow. 😳

I guess I should probably update this page with what I’ve been up to this year while working on the car. I’ve actually made alot of progress, I just haven’t updated anything here.

Where to start…

I guess I can start with the harness, since that’s where I ended on the last update below. My last entry noted that I was going to be working on the harness and that I was going to re-use the harness from the old installation. Wrong. I ended up making two separate harnesses, one for the EDIS system and the other main harness for the rest of the MS. Instead of using the split corrugated harness cover that alot of people use, I put it all in OE Volvo harness sleaving harvested from a couple of cars. Full disclosure – this was not my original idea, my buddy Alex Morgan suggested it to me. After finishing it, I have to say it does look much nicer than before. The main harness now has all the wiring for the cooling fan, idle air controller, EDIS switching, boost controller, and water injection.

I’ll just make a list of all the other stuff done to date:

• Modified the existing intake manifold support to make it fit the later 2-wire IAC
• Modified a late-model 940 fan (at least I think it is) to fit a stock 740 Turbo fan shroud
• Made a bracket for a EDIS coil pack and mounted it to the firewall
• Replaced the oil cooler lines with new hydraulic lines – the old ones were brittle
• Installed a 240 emissions charcoal canister and mounted it in the stock location
• Ran the vacuum lines for the canister
• Pulled the throttle body off and cleaned it out to make sure no sand got sucked in during the rollover
• Fabbed a mounting panel for MS, includes all power, grounds, all options, etc
• Modified the down-pipe for the wide-band O2 sensor
• Coolant hoses installed
• Transmission lines attached

25-NOV-07

• Yeay!  I finished the mods on the MSv3 board.  Coolant fan control, boost controller, idle air controller, water spray, and tach output, in addition to EDIS control. I’ve even started work on the harness.  I won’t have to do much as I’ll be re-using the harness from the old installation, but I will need to add more wiring for the new options.  It’s nice to be working on the car again.  My kids are asking to go for a ride in the Volvo – this is a good sign!

21-NOV-07

• It’s been months since my last entry here. Long story short – my health took a turn for the worse. Back in April I was diagnosed with extreme high blood pressure and Type 2 Diabetes. This after trying to take better care of myself and losing about 70 pounds. When I say extreme high blood pressure, I’m talking about 210 over 113, I’m in danger of stroking out kind of blood pressure. Needless to say, I’ve needed to be placed on medication that makes me lethargic and basically not wanting to work on the car. Today though, I’ve decided that this is not going to be a crutch any more – I’m going to push myself and get going again on the project. I’ve set a personal goal to get the car running and moving under its own power by Christmas for registration by February of next year.

23-JUN-07

• Added jumper for e-fan output and started modding the board for the PWM idle control.  I can’t seem to find a TO-220 mounting kit in my stuff so I didn’t solder in the TIP120.  It seems that Radio Shack carries them.  Need to check them out.  I need to get a 2N5551 for the Tach output, various bits and pieces for the water injection and boost controller, so I think I’ll check locally first at Elliot’s and then Digikey.

28-MAY-07

• Wow. Been a month since I did anything on the car! I have been doing things in the garage though. I cleaned out alot of junk and rearranged one corner of the garge. Much nicer. My workbench is clean now! I did get some work done on the car today though:

• Built a new engine harness using the existing 262’s harness and connectors. The reason this needed to get done is that the ‘newer’ harness on the B230FT was built out of the old ’82 B21FT harness and used the ‘bullet’ style of connectors while the older connector on the 262 uses blade style connectors. So, I built up a harness using the engine side connector and ran new lines for the alternator, oil pressure sender, water temp sender, and starter. I eliminated the harnes related to the K-Jet, i.e., the cold start, warm up regulator, etc. Took me a while to get the old harness out but wasn’t too bad. Anyway, the ‘new’ harness is in and plugged in.

21-APR-07

• Finished the catch can and mounted it to the driver side strut tower
• Routed and cut to fit the hose for the catch can from the oil separator to the turbo inlet

18-APR-07

• Installed fuel filter and lines to fuel rail
• Installed injectors and fuel rail
• Installed 4bar FPR on fuel rail

17-APR-07

• Installed throttle cable
• Installed hose from oil separator out to catch can

14-APR-07

• Connected hoses for turbo water cooling and coolant reservoir
• Connected transmission fluid lines
• Started plumbing line from oil catch can to turbo inlet

7-APR-07

• Relocated oil cooler to jst behind air diverter under intercooler
• Installed temporary bypass pipe in place of catalytic converter (don’t want to clog it with oil on startup)
• Mounted Tethys wheels and spacers

4-APR-07

Received from Ben Pearson:

• Two M46 transmissions and bell housings
• Pedal assembly for manual conversion
• Cross member

Thank you Ben!

31-MAR-07

• Added ports for IAC for MegaSquirt and for Idle Air Motor loop to intercooler piping.

27-MAR-07

• Mounted radiator and intercooler in new locations
• Installed 3-inch intercooler piping from turbo to intake manifold
• Made a catch can from a 3.25″ diameter exhaust pipe
• Sourced a pair of BMW E30 black leather sport seats in AWESOME shape

12-MAR-07

• Fabricated VR sensor mount for EDIS ignition
• Fabricated Intercooler and Radiator mounts

---

As of this entry (29-JAN-07) I’ve been working on getting the Bertone back on the road.  Basically, all the neat stuff off my wrecked 240 has been removed and is being installed in the Bertone, along with some other performance items. I’ll keep adding to this list as I work on the car, below this header.

Completed to date:

• B27 replaced with B230FT
• 3″ exhaust installed
• Fuel tank replaced
• Main fuel pump replaced
• Differential replaced with 3.73:1
• Rear ipd sway bar installed (front one to be installed)
• New rear bushings
• Rear lowering springs
• Bilstein shocks in the rear
• Vinyl top removed
• Front fenders replacedwith good ones
• Front bumper replaced with 83-up bumper
• Wheel spacers acquired

To be installed:

• Drive shaft
• Catalytic converter
• Turbo down pipe
• Power steering rack
• Front lowering springs
• Bilstein struts
• Rewire engine compartment
• Install MegaSquirt
• Install EDIS crank pulley / trigger
• Momo steering wheel and Momo adapter
• R-Sport gauge pack with replacement NOS VDO speedometer and tachometer

———————————————————————————-

29-JAN-07

• Fabricated mount for EDIS sensor from 1/2″ square tubing
• Obtained 4″ core intercooler
• Also purchased aluminum piping and silicone joints and elbows
• Acquired blow off valve
• Got some ‘new’ Khumho Ecsta 711’s for the Tethys rims

06-AUG-06

Installed a fuel line (1/2″) from the main pump to the tank.
Installed the drive shaft.
Installed the shift lever.

• Didn’t install the wiring yet, but its in
• Had to replace the line to the solenoid because it had the dreaded decomposing insulation
• Need to look at the wiring for the 262 because neutral safety switch has different colors.

Modified the crossmember mount on the body:

• The 78 262c did not have provision for a AW-71 crossmember…
• I drilled a hole for the second set of holes into the ‘frame rail’
• Next I drilled a large hole in the side of the rail to push a flanged nut into the rail
• The hole was big enough to get a box end wrench in there and tighten it up
• Problem solved 🙂

I need to do something about getting a speedometer, probably a VDO programmable. Reason being – I thought I would be able to put a drive gear on the output shaft for a speedometer drive cable. Didn’t work out that way, the gear I have too small for this particular transmission and even then, the transmission uses a bearing, not a bushing – completely different animals. This means my R-Sport gauges are not going to work. Kind of pisses me off, especially since I bought replacement a VDO Jet Cockpit speedometer and 4-cylinder tachometer just for this purpose.

Sometime in the last month (SEP-06)

Installed the front suspension: struts, springs, and power steering rack.

In order to install the rack I needed to convert the steering from the older style rubber donut to the newer rubber sleeved shaft from the steering wheel to the rack. The older shaft was not keyed and I had to sort of guess where ‘straight ahead’ was for the steering wheel. Seems ok so far.

I also picked up a set of Tethys wheels – 17″ x 7.5. I’m going to need adapters, but they look gorgeous.

Also have gotten a 240GT air dam and 240GT grill/fog lights to put on.